СОСТРАДАНИЕ

Let us, I exhort you, expose ourselves to danger for our brothers. Whether there is fire or a sword, throw yourself on them, beloved, to save your member; rush, don't be afraid. You are a disciple of Christ, who laid down His life for his brethren, a fellow disciple of Paul, who was willing to suffer a thousand disasters for his enemies and persecutors; Be filled with zeal and imitate Moses. He saw the offended and took revenge, despised royal luxury, became a fugitive and a wanderer for the oppressed, lost his relatives and his home, spent so much time in a foreign country and did not reproach himself, did not say: what is this? - I neglected the Kingdom, such honor and glory; I decided to take revenge for the oppressed, but God did not look upon this and not only did not return me to my former honor, but for forty years I have been living in a foreign country. And it would be right - because he did not receive an award. But he didn’t say or think anything like that. So you too, when, while doing good, you suffer some evil, even for a long time, do not be tempted and do not be embarrassed; God will certainly reward you. The longer this reward is delayed, the greater the increase will be. So, let us have a compassionate soul, let us have a heart capable of sympathizing with those who suffer; Let's not be cruel and inhumane. Even if you could not provide any help - cry, grieve, lament about what happened - and it will not remain useless for you. If we must have compassion for those who are righteously punished by God, then even more so for those who unjustly suffer from people. “Do not announce this in Gath,” says [the prophet], “do not cry loudly there; but in the village of Ofra cover yourself with ashes. Move, inhabitants of Shafir, shamefully naked; neither will she who dwells in Tsaan flee; the mourning in the village of Etzel will not let you stop there” (Mic. 1:10, 11). Ezekiel reproaches them for not being compassionate. What are you saying, prophet? God punishes, but should I have compassion for those being punished? Yes, this is what the punisher wants; He himself does not rejoice when he punishes, but he also grieves greatly. If the punisher himself does not rejoice, then do not rejoice either. But, you say, when they are punished fairly, then, of course, they should not grieve? We must mourn that they have become worthy of punishment. Tell me: when you see your son being cauterized or amputated, do you not grieve? Of course, you grieve and don’t say to yourself: what is this? - cutting off will lead to healing, cauterization will lead to recovery; but, hearing his sobs from unbearable pain, you grieve, and the hope of recovery cannot overcome natural compassion. So here, even if they are punished for correction, we must show them brotherly affection and fatherly love. God's punishments are like cuttings and cauterizations; but that is why we must cry, because they are sick, because they need such healing. When someone suffers for crowns, then do not grieve, like, for example, Paul or Peter; but when someone suffers a worthy punishment, then cry, then grieve. This is what the prophets did. That’s why one of them said: “Oh, Lord God! will You destroy all the remnant of Israel” (Ezek. 9:8)! We often see murderers and other criminals punished, and we regret and mourn. Let us not be prudent beyond measure; but let us be merciful, so that we too may receive mercy. Nothing can compare with this good; nothing expresses our human qualities better than mercy, like love for mankind. That is why the laws leave every [punishment] to the executioners, obliging the judge only to pronounce the sentence of punishment, and entrusting the execution itself to them. So, even if the punishment was fair, it is not in the nature of a wise soul to punish, but this requires someone else. Therefore, God does not punish himself, but through the Angels. Therefore, Angels are executioners? It won't happen! – I’m not saying that; but they are forces that also serve to carry out punishment. When Sodom was destroyed, everything was accomplished through the Angels; when Egypt, through them. Fury and anger and sorrow brought down through angels [sending] disasters (Ps. 77:49). But when it was necessary to save, then He himself acts; so He sent His Son to save the race. And again: the Son of Man will send His angels: gather together those who work iniquity (Matthew 13:41, 42). But regarding the righteous it is not so, but: “Whoever receives you receives Me (Matthew 10:40). And again: “having tied his hands and feet,” he says, “take him and throw him into outer darkness” (Matthew 22:13). Look, there are servants at work here. And when it is necessary to reward, he himself rewards, he himself says: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). When it was necessary to talk with Abraham, he came himself; and when he goes to Sodom, he sends ministers, just as a judge appoints executioners. And again: “Well, good and faithful servant,” he says, “you have been faithful in small things, I will put you over many things.” He himself praises this one, but not himself, but the servants bind the evil servant (see Matt. 25:21–30). Knowing this, let us not rejoice over those who suffer punishment; but we will pity them, we will grieve, we will cry for them, so that we may receive reward for this too. Nowadays many rejoice even over those who suffer evil unjustly. But we won't do that; on the contrary, let us show them all compassion (10). You might be interested in: